Quileute Indian Legends

Quileute Legends and Tales

Here is a summary of some of the Quileute Tales you will find on this site:

1. Kweeti – In the olden days Kweeti travelled all over the earth. The first person he encountered was a white man. At that time the whites were ignorant and did not know anything. Kweeti taught this man how to dig metal and many other things.  Soon he came to know everything that white people know now.
2. Duskeah – Duskeah used to tattoo children. She would drive the bone needle clear through the arm or chest, and so kill them. Kweeti came to her one day, and said, “My sister, I want you to tattoo my arm, but only the skin, not through the arm, or else I may die.”
3. The Lazy Boy Who Became a Whaler – Once there was a young man, called Sexdate, who was lazy and idle. On this account he would  receive only the tail-part of dried salmon for his meals. His elder brother’s wife used to give him the salmon, which he would put into a small basket that he had hidden under his blanket.
4. The Origin of the Elks – A long time ago elks were men. One day they decided to give a potlatch and invite all the wolves, because they used to kill young elk whenever they strayed away from the house to play.


Quileute Legends

5. War Between the Quileute and Ozette – Once there was a war between the Quileute and the Ozette (Eyii’-elat). One Quileute man lost all his brothers. He retired to a hill on the northern side of the mouth of the Quileute, and wept there.  It was full moon, and the nights were very clear. One night he saw something in the river, with many animals swimming around it.
6. Kweeti and the Wolves– Once there was a wolf who used always to hunt on the beach for hair-seals, whales, or anything at all. One day he strayed farther than usual, and came to a house where he found a man living all alone.  His name was Kweeti.
7. Fighting Ground of the Monsters – According to Quileute Legends, two monsters met on occasion in massive battle at the boundary between Elwha and Quileute territory. Equally matched, they devastated a huge area and wounded one another grievously, but neither ever killed the other. After the last such fight, both monsters hobbled home to caves, walled themselves in, and cried over their injuries.
8. Quileute Creation Legend – The Quileute creation legend  says that a traveling shape shifter came upon a wolf and transformed him into a human being, creating the first Quileute.
9. Raven’s Daugher – At one time Raven threw a potlatch, and invited all the supernatural beings. They arrived and waited outside, while Raven made a good seat for his daughter within the house. The guests danced as they went into the house, singing, “Kwa’te, kwa’te, kwa’te!”

Other American Indian Legends

1. Navajo Skin-walker – The skin-walker is known chiefly from Navajo Legend, their existance traverses in the mythology of additional tribes.   In a few Indian legends, the yee naaldlooshii (”with it, he goes on all fours”) are humans who have acquired supernatural abilities.